1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to polymeric/semiconductor thin film strain gauges
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Many civil engineering structures display fatigue, and occasionally failure, after years of exposure to natural forces. In other instances, the failure is a result of a catastrophic event, such as an earthquake, tornado, or hurricane. There is a need for an inexpensive, robust, and sensitive strain gage that is unaffected by seasonal environmental variations. Further, such a sensor should be simple, easily installed, and readily integrated into modern data communication systems.
The sensor system disclosed herein can monitor the integrity of structures for the purpose of public safety and maintenance. Specific applications include building, road, and bridge integrity. The system employs, as the sensing component, multiple optical strain gages that are inexpensive, inert to natural environments, and physically robust. Combined with an automated data collection and diagnostic analysis programming, such sensors and their optical fiber data links can be placed on the superstructures and footings of bridges, in the support components of buildings, or embedded into the surfaces of roads and pedestrian skywalks. The ‘health’ of such structures and surfaces can be automatically monitored and assessed with a minimum of human time allocation. Detailed use information would also be valuable in assessing the need for routine maintenance or for the need for repair after a potential catastrophic loading.